tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32251612016-12-08T21:19:47.065-05:00Lack of ReadershipEd McDonaldnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3064125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-20070618691634428452016-12-08T21:01:00.004-05:002016-12-08T21:19:47.075-05:00Different SeasonsTwo photos from the same bridge. Clam Lake, Michigan, one panorama taken in September 2011 and the next taken December 2016. <br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/6148564490/in/album-72157594511413986/" title="Clam River Panorama"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/7/6069/6148564490_7fe446607c_z.jpg" width="640" height="174" alt="Clam River Panorama"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/30648979374/in/dateposted/" title="clam lake pano 2"><img src="https://c7.staticflickr.com/6/5612/30648979374_ee63aed32c_z.jpg" width="640" height="175" alt="clam lake pano 2"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-80471779602493418262016-11-10T11:59:00.001-05:002016-11-10T11:59:51.563-05:00Mandate, My AssI heard this song as a teenager when it was played WNMC in northern Michigan. It's probably the first overtly political song I ever loved and listened to repeatedly. I happened to be recording the radio when this song came on and I played it over and over. It's still relevant. <br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UlVgtckqSaY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-76988747578516218702016-09-26T10:16:00.002-04:002016-09-26T10:33:04.940-04:00A LegendThere are few true sports giants in the world. People who can distract a whole room. People like Willie Mays or Junior Johnson. Arnold Palmer was one. I had an opportunity to watch Palmer play a few holes at the pro am at the Well Fargo tournament in May of 2011. There was a palpable buzz on the course because Arnold Palmer was there. There was a constant stream of love washing over him the whole time. Grown men yelling his name and thanking him for being there. Two things stand out from that day. I watched him scarf down a hotdog in under thirty seconds and he played from the black tees because it would have been beneath him to play from the senior tees. That wasn't a great decision because he was unable to reach the fairway off the tee but he hit 'em straight. <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/5688547728/in/photolist-9EErBD-9EErst-9EFi47-9EEqNV-9EErk4-9EEqEZ/" title="Arnold Palmer at the Wells Fargo Pro-Am"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/6/5270/5688547728_9afa2cf519_z.jpg" width="640" height="481" alt="Arnold Palmer at the Wells Fargo Pro-Am"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-69535233311376333612016-08-18T22:48:00.001-04:002016-08-19T11:40:11.376-04:00I go to a Trump RallyActually, the title is a lie. I didn't go to the rally. I stood out front of the entrance to see what I could see. I had a ticket to see Trump talk but I decided to go home and have dinner instead. This is what I saw.<br><br> Protesters chanting. The Black Lives Matter people were smart. They did not engage the Trump supporters who yelled at them. It was curious to see the reaction of Trump supporters toward the BLM protesters. The Trump people got way too angry. I witnessed one woman screaming, "You motherfuckers!" at the protesters. The protesters were doing nothing to warrant the level of anger displayed by the Trump supporters. I even heard one woman ask a friend of hers, "How many of them do you think are paid to be here?" One person yelled at the protesters that they should get a job. They bring their assumptions with them, I suppose. <br><br> The attitude of the Trump protesters disappointed me. Here we had young people expressing an opinion. Doing so while under the protection of the same Constitution the Trump people express devotion to. Trump supporters are so devoted to it that I saw several people wearing clothing that expressed an allegiance to the document. Why then, if you are so devoted to the words of the Constitution, would you direct derision and profanities toward people are utilizing the same freedoms you profess to believe in? You would think if you truly believed in the words of that document you would appreciate what these young people were doing. In my opinion, if all you are capable of doing in this situation is shaking your ass at these kids or yelling profanities then any declaration of support for our Constitution on your part is bullshit. </br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28456882834/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8755"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8320/28456882834_ba888b5fb6_z.jpg" width="640" height="479" alt="IMG_8755"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This gentleman walked around with this sign. One woman got really mad at him because he wouldn't talk to her.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29077671935/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8777"><img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8434/29077671935_1b9c3db11b_z.jpg" width="479" height="640" alt="IMG_8777"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This is one of the guys who got way too angry. He was making obscene gestures and shaking his ass at the protesters. It was not as sexy as it sounds.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28460020393/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8752"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8218/28460020393_40be546daa_z.jpg" width="480" height="640" alt="IMG_8752"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> And then this guy showed up. His hat says, "Deputy." The top he's wearing has lettering on the back that reads, "Constitution Enforcement Special Victims Unit." Honest. Judging by how he was sizing up the BLM protesters he seemed miffed that the Constitution allowed those damn kids to protest. <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28460064463/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8764"><img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8345/28460064463_223b384050_z.jpg" width="479" height="640" alt="IMG_8764"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> See, no foolin'<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29045071386/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8765"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8557/29045071386_c6d471ab40_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8765"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> These guys were fun.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29077718615/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8791"><img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8334/29077718615_58a8413a15_z.jpg" width="481" height="640" alt="IMG_8791"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This musician was singing songs in support of the BLM protesters. I'm kidding, she was singing a terrible, terrible song about how great Donald Trump is. The BLM protesters were drowning her out and for that we all should have been more thankful.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29045128346/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8807"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8042/29045128346_db368ddb67_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8807"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> After about 30 minutes the BLM guys moved across the street.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29001338961/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8814"><img src="https://c2.staticflickr.com/9/8451/29001338961_bb3e5f5388_z.jpg" width="640" height="481" alt="IMG_8814"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Hey ladies, he's single! I don't know for sure, I am assuming. <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28972646552/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8820"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8186/28972646552_c557af2f36_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8820"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Probably the least offensive souvenir for sale.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28972632132/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8819"><img src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8269/28972632132_6f57acdd7e_z.jpg" width="479" height="640" alt="IMG_8819"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Definitely the most offensive souvenir for sale.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28972693682/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8835"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8271/28972693682_57d6ce3fce_z.jpg" width="481" height="640" alt="IMG_8835"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This is the woman who was furious that the protesters would not engage her. This gentleman decided to hear her out. After a good twenty minutes of nonstop gobbledygook from her I am sure he regretted deciding she needed to be heard. I imagined him going home and going straight to bed and swearing off politics forever. Nothing is worth what he went through. <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29045181186/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8825"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8082/29045181186_79df59e9bb_z.jpg" width="481" height="640" alt="IMG_8825"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Police were everywhere. They were bored.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29001405391/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8829"><img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8253/29001405391_b3e4fbca7f_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8829"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Trump bros! <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29045171916/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8821"><img src="https://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8298/29045171916_80db320522_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8821"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> On the way back to my car I passed this group of teenagers who were promoting their Bump up the Trump (BUTT) project. I think it may be a music project. Or maybe they were just having fun, I'm not sure. I guess I could have asked. The Twitter handle they were using doesn't exist. They made my day.<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/28972705362/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8844"><img src="https://c3.staticflickr.com/9/8379/28972705362_ccdbe1b794_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8844"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29001473431/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8843"><img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8519/29001473431_b1afaf42f2_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_8843"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/29001922551/in/dateposted/" title="IMG_8841"><img src="https://c8.staticflickr.com/9/8389/29001922551_96d2e179bc_z.jpg" width="640" height="481" alt="IMG_8841"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br><br> Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-50277697276118249422016-06-30T18:58:00.001-04:002016-06-30T18:58:09.451-04:00Bee PoopingToday, while shooting slow motion video of bees on the bush in front of my house I caught a bee pooping. Slow motion bee pooping. Someone call science and let them know!<br><br> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NYtey5hvWBg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-17834997619469114172016-06-02T19:17:00.000-04:002016-06-02T19:17:08.856-04:00Yesterday I called TimeWarner to cancel my cable/telephone/internet package. I wanted to cancel that bundle and just have internet along with basic cable. I had to call their toll free number because TimeWarner doesn't allow customers to change their service on their web page, that would be way too close to good customer service. I go through their interminable phone tree and choose, "service reduction." The first person to answer the phone seems to be pretty sure that the package I have is "an excellent deal." I agree with her. She tells me she has to put me on hold so she can see what my cost will be when I switch. I am on hold for almost five minutes. She comes back and gives me a price that is $50 more than I am currently paying (she had pretended not to understand which cable package I wanted). Once we straighten out what I really want she then tells me what I currently have is "really good deal." I agree again. I then say, regardless of that, I would still like to reduce my service. She seems shocked that after being informed twice of how good of a deal I have that I would still want to switch. I assure her that I want to continue with the service reduction. She then tells me that she has to transfer me to someone else who can do that. Essentially, when you choose "service reduction" from the phone tree the first person you talk to is there to convince you not to reduce your service. Before she transfers me she quotes me a price of $69 for internet and $20 for basic cable. I am then back on hold while she transfers me. I am on hold again for almost five minutes.<br><br> The next person tries also assures me I have a good deal and seems perplexed that I would want to reduce my service. I assure her I would very much like to reduce my service. She then says that before we start she wants to have me answer some survey questions. I tell her immediately that I do not want to answer any questions. She is very surprised at that. She is off script! As we move forward she tells me the price I was quoted was not correct and I can her derision, as if I deserve such service at that price. Finally, I am over this whole call. We are over twenty minutes now. I tell her to forget about the basic cable. I just want internet, nothing else. I think, at this point, she senses that any further stalling will be futile and we finally complete the transaction. I now have 200 mps internet for $90 a month. A fairly large reduction in costs. Total time wasted: 27 minutes. This should have taken no longer than ten minutes. When Google Fiber arrives I will be able to access 1000 mps for $70. I will be joining Google Fiber the day it is available.<br><br> This interaction with TimeWarner was educational. I had read about the frustration others have felt doing what I was trying to do. I was prepared for the runaround but it was still frustrating. The operators I was talking to were trying to get me to do one of two things, reconsider my decisions by attempting to convince me I had a great deal or have me end the call out of frustration. I did find it a little sad that this is where we are with some companies. It is a running joke that that the cable company is going to jerk you around on the phone. We expect it. This is their business model. They want to Upsell you and then resort to subterfuge in order to keep you hooked.<br><br> It's disappointing that TimeWarner couldn't view me as a longtime customer (which I am) who was disappointed with the services he was receiving for what he was paying (which I also was). If I told the manager of the local Showmars that was no longer going to eat as his store because I thought the food and service weren't worth my patronage he would ask me what they could do to improve my experience. Timewarner when faced with the same situation resorted to tactics that were designed to make me feel like I was the problem. I am not a customer to them, I am a revenue stream that once they receive they treat as theirs. It's not the public's fault the way cable works is ass backwards. It's your business plan, Timewarner, that requires bundling. I'm done paying for TV channels I don't watch. Until you have a menu, like Showmars, then piss off. Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-32698068920023108042016-04-18T10:46:00.000-04:002016-04-18T10:48:04.269-04:00Turtles and a HeronAs part of our quest to see turtles a couple of times a year Melanie and I took short drive to <a href="http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Parks/ParksByRegion/SouthRegion/Pages/McAlpinePK.aspx">McAlpine Creek Park</a>. The park has two ponds. One is the more traditional cement ponds you see at a lot of parks. There is a second pond beyond it that is full of logs and stumps. I knew it had to be full of turtles. It was. Not only was it full of turtles it had tadpoles, fish and a blue heron. Not bad for the middle of a big city.<br><br> We saw this guy first. He was lounging on a dead tree on the surface of the front pond</b> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/26400052532/in/album-72157664987895764/" title="Turtle at McAlpine Creek Park"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1574/26400052532_bb1e4a1990.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Turtle at McAlpine Creek Park"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br><br> This small turtle just crawled out of the muck to get some sun<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/26219509090/in/album-72157664987895764/" title="Turtle at McAlpine Creek Park"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1561/26219509090_1f1c829c34.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Turtle at McAlpine Creek Park"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> The blue heron wading and hunting<br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/25887471114/in/album-72157664987895764/" title="Heron at McAlpine Creek Park"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1536/25887471114_1d5822a798.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="Heron at McAlpine Creek Park"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Finally, the log with a shitload of turtles. I count 14. This is three photos stitched together. This log floating in the middle of the lake was a turtle resort<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/26216802520/in/album-72157664987895764/" title="All the Turtles in the World"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1592/26216802520_7804b470e0_c.jpg" width="800" height="183" alt="All the Turtles in the World"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-32029011039297517842016-03-25T10:00:00.002-04:002016-03-25T10:00:55.678-04:00Knox PhillipsAnother thing I learned while listening to Guralnick's biography of Sam Phillips is that his oldest son, Knox, did some producing in the late 60s and early 70s. He did some work with a local Memphis band called the Jesters. They cut this great tune called Cadillac Man. <br><br> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pLwwwWPEBI4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-35253194288058694942016-03-08T17:47:00.001-05:002016-03-08T17:52:13.380-05:00Mystery TrainFor the last couple of weeks I have been listening to <a href="http://www.peterguralnick.com/">Peter Guralnick</a>'s new biography of Sam Phillips. I was familiar with a lot of the recordings Sam Phillips made. I had heard the Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Howlin' Wolf and Jerry Lee Lewis stuff. I was unfamiliar with the large number of blues artists other than Howlin' Wolf that Sam Phillips had recorded. I didn't know that he started his recording service and eventual record label exclusively to record the black musicians in the Memphis area because he thought they were not being given the deserved opportunity to express themselves as artists. He was sure that through recording this beautiful music that the music could break down the barriers between black and white Americans. <br><br> I have been pausing my listening to the audio book a lot to listen to music I had not heard before. My Google Music account has come in handy in the last couple of weeks. One track that really stands out is the original version of Mystery Train by Little Junior's Blue Flames, a song recorded by Elvis late in his Sun stint and part of the last Presley single released by Sun. According to Guralnick, Sam Phillips considered Mystery Train to be the best work Elvis recorded at Sun but he asserted that Elvis' version of the song was not as good as the original. Little Junior is <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junior_Parker">Junior Parker</a>. There is so much music out there to discover. <br><br> Give Mystery Train by Little Junior's Blue Flames A listen, it is a perfect song. I have been continually impressed over the last couple of weeks while revisiting and discovering the recordings made by Sam Phillips, by just how great these sound. He built his studio with only the assistance of one other person, his assistant Marion Keisker and was barely getting by but recorded songs that will be listened to hundreds of years from now. I think he may have accomplished his goal. <br><br> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/grK6xP-A12I" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-25642661395445667182016-01-31T14:12:00.000-05:002016-01-31T14:12:02.349-05:00A Few PhotosHere are a few photos I took recently. Moss sprouts! I was walking with my dad and sister on dad's land in northern Michigan and came across some moss next to a large rock. I got down close with my camera and saw the moss was sprouting. I wonder if you can eat moss sprouts?<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/22943581254/in/datetaken/" title="IMG_7425"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5790/22943581254_9e363ff1d1_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7425"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> There was also reindeer moss in this field. It's actually lichen. If deer eat it can humans?<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23463573922/in/datetaken/" title="IMG_7411"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5677/23463573922_028d228d2a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7411"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> You can kind of see in this picture how much of that lichen is covering the ground here. It was everywhere. <br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/22945125913/in/datetaken/" title="IMG_7410"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5778/22945125913_1c90dcc74f_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7410"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This is lichen on the rock next to where I took the photo of the moss sprouts. Delicious?<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23489387561/in/datetaken/" title="Lichen on Rock"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/631/23489387561_8bda3b0b96_z.jpg" width="640" height="481" alt="Lichen on Rock"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This is me at sunset standing all cool and shit. This spot next to my dad's house on top of a hill that has an incredible 360 degree view is one of my favorite places in the world. <br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23554392910/in/datetaken/" title="IMG_7540"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/574/23554392910_e8a79ccc00_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7540"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-11471015106691472892015-12-22T17:46:00.000-05:002015-12-22T18:00:48.349-05:00Star Wars: The Force AwakensYou can probably spend a whole day reading reviews and general observations on the new Star Wars movie. This one is mine.<br><br> I really enjoyed the movie, it gave me the thrill I was expecting when the first bad movie of the prequels was released. Like Jon Scalzi said in his <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2015/12/18/my-non-spoilery-review-of-the-force-awakens/">much better review</a>, it felt good just to sit back and enjoy a Star Wars movie as just a fine space romp, which is all they really need to be. Even if you aren't a fan of the Star Wars universe this is a movie you can just enjoy as a blockbuster science fiction movie. <br><br> A few things that stood out to me:<br><br> The stormtroopers are people behind those white helmets and this movie shows us that. They are not mere cannon fodder. They are now cannon fodder with souls. They still can't hit a hero with a blaster shot but they do try. Early in the movie there is a scene where stormtroopers are loaded into a transport for a mission and there is actual tension. What a great idea. <br><br><center>Not everyone here is coming back</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OmXp9X1PI0/VnmoeJzJFsI/AAAAAAACATE/l-kzhz3Fi9M/s1600/troopers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3OmXp9X1PI0/VnmoeJzJFsI/AAAAAAACATE/l-kzhz3Fi9M/s320/troopers.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br>The blaster fire is different. Blaster bolts seem to have weight now. They have mass. More "pop," if you will. I don't recall if that was the case in the prequels, since I have yet to watch any of them a second time, but in this movie if you get hit by a blaster bolt you go backwards. Especially if you get hit by Chewbaca's weapon. There are a couple of nice gags in the movie about that. In the original trilogy the blaster weapons were not unsatisfactory, these are just better. The weapons in this movie look like weapons, not toys.<br><br> <center>These guns look dangerous</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4zqGRr4Zqqw/VnmqTZqW-VI/AAAAAAACATQ/n_6iV4tzqsI/s1600/laser.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4zqGRr4Zqqw/VnmqTZqW-VI/AAAAAAACATQ/n_6iV4tzqsI/s320/laser.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br> There was a lot of Han Solo. If you like Harrison Ford you will enjoy this movie. Ford has more screen time in this movie than in any of the other Star Wars movie. Han Solo is still a rogue, still partners with Chewbaca, still a hero and still funny. It's not unfair to say Ford is the best actor from the original trilogy and in this movie he is allowed to show that. He brings needed gravitas and humor to the movie. When he says the Force and the Jedi are real it feels more real because it came from Han Solo as played by Harrison Ford. About halfway into this movie I would have been just as happy if Han, Chewie and the two new young characters had turned the Millennium Falcon around and gone on to their own adventures as smugglers. That probably would have been a better movie.<br><br> <center>Fastest hunk o' junk in the galaxy</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb7w90YDazE/VnmszCebnbI/AAAAAAACATc/CjH6u20VUHk/s1600/star-wars-episode-7-millennium-falcon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fb7w90YDazE/VnmszCebnbI/AAAAAAACATc/CjH6u20VUHk/s320/star-wars-episode-7-millennium-falcon.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br> It has plot holes you can fly a death star through and it doesn't matter. The need to fill holes was one of the problems with the prequels. What are the odds of this heroic person meeting that heroic person and then running into a couple of legendary characters, one of whom may be related to the other? Astronomical! Who gives a shit? How did Indiana Jones survive on that submarine? No one cares. This type of movie doesn't need a plot that makes sense. It needs heroes you care about, funny dialog and fight scenes and special effects that kick ass. These movies require plot holes, I expect them. <br><br><center>The world's biggest plot hole and I don't care</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wl-CgQvDazw/Vnmu0Q6_LMI/AAAAAAACATo/Dr73Q_MnSAM/s1600/indianajones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wl-CgQvDazw/Vnmu0Q6_LMI/AAAAAAACATo/Dr73Q_MnSAM/s320/indianajones.jpg" /></a></div> <br><br> There is a lot of nostalgia. Almost too much. The plot is very much inspired by the first Star Wars movie and that isn't bad. The first Star Wars movie is great because it is just a big mess with great action scenes. The magic of that movie is that the plot was not original and much of it was "borrowed" from earlier movies. So, this new one borrowing from the first big borrower works. The scenes where each of the original characters is introduced really work. The right mood is struck each time with a perfect touch of humor added during one scene. I wonder how these scenes will play to younger viewers who watched the original movies first at home. They haven't had over half a lifetime to create the emotional bonds with these characters like us old people. They are probably rolling their eyes while grandfather in the seat next to them sniffles when Han and Leia drown in each others eyes. There are a few times, though, when too much of the plot of lifted directly from the first Star Wars movie. It's a small quibble because everything else is so great, the dialog and the action. No complaints. So we get another even bigger death star, again, no one really cares. Just blow that bastard up and save the galaxy. For now. <br><br> <center>Han holds Leia before he goes off to stomp some ass</center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2xi_l9XGHE/VnnQ-J0hQVI/AAAAAAACAT4/ILYrX5VRXOQ/s1600/hanleia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m2xi_l9XGHE/VnnQ-J0hQVI/AAAAAAACAT4/ILYrX5VRXOQ/s320/hanleia.jpg" /></a></div> Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-70677582131523723012015-12-05T19:38:00.001-05:002015-12-05T19:51:46.473-05:00A Trip to Pyramid PointYesterday Allison and I took a jaunt to <a href="http://www.nps.gov/slbe/planyourvisit/trailpyramidpt.htm">Pyramid Point</a>. The trail we took goes about .6 miles up to a bluff that overlooks Lake Michigan. And the trail is almost entirely uphill. About 2/3 of the way up, I was feeling it. The view at the top of this bluff never gets old. The visibility was excellent yesterday. There was, however, a wall of fog a few miles out. It's odd to be that far above a fog bank. It made the horizon look blurry. I thought the first few photos I took with my phone were not in focus. <br><br> A stump provides a nice foreground. You can barely make out North Manitou Island on the horizon. The fog is obscuring the island. <br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23444254101/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_7198"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5769/23444254101_7a243f77ab_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7198"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Allison and her dog, Yuki. Or Zen Yuki. Or Dookie. Something like that.<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23526808075/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_7219"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/614/23526808075_8b13a05b9f_z.jpg" width="640" height="481" alt="IMG_7219"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> After walking back down the hill we went to a nearby beach. The beach faces the west and the late afternoon late autumn sun provided some amazing light. <br><br> This picture has probably been taken a gazillion times. <br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23231184180/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_7255"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5694/23231184180_14ebb38d0a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7255"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> Sometimes you have to lay down in the sand in order to get that shot you want.<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23431948832/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_7325"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5783/23431948832_c0dc853bc2_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7325"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This picture has also been taken a gazillion times.<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/22912251094/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_7343"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5688/22912251094_ca90b3e26a_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7343"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br> This was cute. When I got too far away from them Yuki started barking at me to come back. I was a couple of hundred yards away when he was doing this.<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23244908840/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_7362"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/691/23244908840_d998885445_z.jpg" width="640" height="480" alt="IMG_7362"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br><br>I also took a panorama from the top of the bluff. It turned out pretty good, I think.<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23173019199/in/datetaken/" title="Pyramid Point Panorama 1"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5686/23173019199_67ccbb3dde_z.jpg" width="640" height="298" alt="Pyramid Point Panorama 1"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-72339115468152862252015-11-20T16:41:00.001-05:002015-11-20T16:41:45.402-05:00West Bay PanoramaOn the way back from Meijer today I stopped by West Bay to take a few pictures. I may be cold and windy this week but it is still beautiful out.<br><br> <a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/23167014822/in/dateposted-public/" title="West Bay Panorama"><img src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5822/23167014822_42aa4242a9_z.jpg" width="640" height="264" alt="West Bay Panorama"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-73059767578617012432015-11-03T18:17:00.000-05:002015-11-03T18:30:41.928-05:00More Halo ChaosThese are some shots of me playing free for all in Halo 5. The first segment is me chasing a guy down and taking him out, the second three segments feature me getting bumped off and the final segment is me blowing up a couple of fools. Good stuff. <br><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BEU7nkyptic" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-90554903222113378772015-11-02T12:19:00.000-05:002015-11-02T12:19:11.208-05:00Halo 5I've been having some fun with the new Halo that came out last week. I have been playing a lot of games of team death match and free for all. It took me a couple of days of heavy playing to get my Halo legs back and it has been worth it. The video below is me ending a match with a triple kill. I'm not sure why this particular team was all hiding in these rocks. We were stomping their ass and it may have been because they were hiding in the rocks the whole time. Sometimes when I am on a particularly shitty team I will run and hide. I am nobody's cannon fodder. <br><br> I am disappointed in the theater mode in this version of Halo. You have to use it in conjunction with the game DVR on the Xbox One and that system is not good. You have to start recording on the DVR and then go back to the game and start the video in order to record a segment. It is the opposite of user friendly. The editing that is available on the Xbox One is atrocious. I have had to resort to uploading segments to Youtube and editing them into a longer video using Youtube's editor which is much better than what is provided on the Xbox. One of the main complaints I have about the Xbox One is the user interface. I have found it to be a step backwards from what was available on the Xbox 360. <br><br> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rgOHqb6iPiY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-34038418836273929742015-10-23T16:59:00.000-04:002015-10-23T16:59:18.111-04:00More Forza 6Last night I was driving my 2009 Pagani Zonda on the high banks of Daytona. I tweaked the gearing so I could the car's speed up over 220 mph. 40 second laps at Daytona while using the driver's view is thrilling. There is a serious sense of speed when you are going over 220 mph and not lifting. Good fun. <br><br> The replay you see here is the preset race view setting. This view mimics a television broadcast.<br><br> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L81wugTIEXM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-21016355197595235892015-10-19T15:24:00.000-04:002015-10-19T15:24:00.045-04:00CrashI have been having some fun with the new racing game Forza 6. I like that in the career mode how the cars you race against will sometimes have accidents due to driver error. Like this one below. I had a nice view of the car in front of me having a horrendous crash.<br><br><iframe frameborder=0 webkitAllowFullScreen mozallowfullscreen allowFullScreen scale="tofit" width="640" height="365" style="max-width:100%" src="http://xboxdvr.com/gamer/zzazaz/video/12346737/embed"></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-12666954281162877692015-10-15T18:34:00.001-04:002015-10-15T18:37:59.339-04:00Testing This<script type="text/javascript" id="WolframAlphaScript9816324e1620ffee7d235fa92526be4" src="//www.wolframalpha.com/widget/widget.jsp?id=9816324e1620ffee7d235fa92526be4"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-25155097630437987852015-09-26T08:45:00.001-04:002015-09-26T08:45:18.179-04:00Best gif you'll see today. Maybe. <br><br> <img src="http://media.vanityfair.com/photos/556bb8504ae56e586e4574a4/master/w_690,c_limit/spoiler-got-nights-king.gif">Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-46399313122791809812015-09-15T19:32:00.001-04:002015-09-16T12:36:02.657-04:00Super Mega BaseballI have been playing a fun game for the last couple of weeks on the Xbox One. It's called Super Mega Baseball. Most reviews you see of the game will call it an arcade style game with surprising depth. That is an apt description. A couple of days ago I hit a single off the opposing pitchers head. I thought I would share it. <br><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/H45fpmRyt4w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-31481900242796097172015-09-12T18:21:00.001-04:002015-09-12T18:26:15.203-04:002015 Darlington Southern 500It was that time of the year again this last weekend, the annual trip Jeff and I take to Darlington for the Southern 500. This year we weren't as excited as we have been in the past. Part of it was due to the change of the date of the race. Since 2005 the Southern has been run in the spring. Spring in Darlington, SC is much, much more pleasant than late summer. The humidity and temperature are each lower. I'm not sure of the scheduling negotiations that went on behind the scenes for racing to return to South Carolina in the summer but NASCAR definitely marketed the shit out of it. Marketing centered around returning to tradition with cars featuring "throw back" paint schemes. I thought running the Southern 500 in cool weather was a hell of a tradition to establish and continue. <br><br> One tradition NASCAR did bring back this year was green flag passing. There were 24 passes for the lead during green flag racing. I am a big fan of this low down force package NASCAR has used at Kentucky and at Darlington. Less grip means less reliance on down force and that leads to more passing. With this package they are definitely going in the right direction. As far as I am concerned if they ran body styles from 1975 the sport would be better off. Get them cars going sideways and let the best driver win. <br><br> Every trip to Darlington I budget for a single souvenir. Usually, I purchase a hat because I like hats and shirts for sale are usually <a href="http://www.pyramidracing.com/contents/media/48-06-Champ-Total-T.jpg">ugly as sin</a>. A week before the race I received an email from the Tervis Tumbler people informing me that they would have a presence at the race. The email said they would be selling tumblers with a design you could only purchase at the race! I had found my souvenir purchase for this year's race. I found their booth and purchased a <a href="https://flic.kr/p/ygph27">tumblr</a>. Very class, no? <br><br> After the race we ran into a frightening situation. We have sat in the Pearson Grandstand in turn 4 for several years and have never had any trouble exiting the track after race. There is the usual mob but the track has generally had a good system for funneling the crowd out. This year something changed. I don't know what. We seemed to be funneling into a narrower area than before and the crowd got bottlenecked. People started getting frustrated because they didn't know where to go and those behind started putting pressure on those in the front. It didn't take long before people started pushing chain link fences over or climbing over those fences. People were getting angry and panicky and for about ten minutes it got scary. It doesn't take much for a situation like that to get out of control and it nearly did. I hope whoever is in charge of crowd control looks at the area near the Pearson Grandstand where fans are attempting to walk toward Harry Byrd Highway. Whatever was changed needs to be examined. <br><br> Kyle Larson in a throwback paint scheme going through turn 3<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/21147662569/in/datetaken/" title="Kyle Larson"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/631/21147662569_0973f53cdc_z.jpg" width="640" height="479" alt="Kyle Larson"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-17106508223158080642015-09-02T18:54:00.002-04:002015-09-12T08:38:57.889-04:00Forza 6 DemoYesterday I downloaded the demo for Forza 6. For those of you unfamiliar the Forza series is a racing simulator for consoles. I have mixed feelings about it. The game has historically simulated driving physics very well. Unlike most other racing games the cars in this game feel like they have mass. You cannot just throw cars into turns and expect to come out on the other side. You have to pick a proper line and drive it. If you go into a turn wrong at racing speed you are either going to wreck or have to slow way down. It is challenging. As a racing game it has yet to really hook me. The other cars on the track tend to drive lines and not really race you. The game tends to default to expecting you go finish first in each race in order to advance. I'd like to see that tweaked. <br><br> So, last night I tried the four-race demo for Forza 6. Unsurprisingly, it looks amazing with great physics. I found the game giving me a lot of options in order to tweak the game play. I found a good setting for the physics with a matching setting for opponent aggressiveness that forced me to really scramble just to finish third in a race. I also noticed the game borrowing from games like Titanfall by offering packs of cards you can purchase with points earned during gameplay that give you advantages or challenges that last for one race. Could be a nice touch. <br><br> The one special race offered in the demo allows you to turn seven laps at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I really felt a sense of speed and driving laps around Indy at racing speed was not easy. I am really leaning toward giving this game a chance. Below is a video of my last few laps at Indianapolis. <br><br><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/-mQsPJtOVa4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-27424512802843269202015-08-28T15:18:00.000-04:002015-08-28T15:19:34.376-04:00Fenway ParkOne of the best ideas I have seen realized at a baseball park is putting seats on top of the Green Monster at Fenway Park. I doubt if there is a better view at an American sports venue except for the seats in turn four Jeff and I get at Darlington. <br><br> Look at that view!<br><a data-flickr-embed="true" data-header="false" data-footer="false" data-context="false" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgaproductions/14268744113/in/photolist-nJT3vx-23VXmP-5d32T7-4HwXhf-5mqDAf-4HwXqG-7RuUkS-23VTLg-fRTtsu-3EvoEX-3Evhy4-6Zom44-6nRnRt-3A1vBF-4HsJ1g-6nVxBU-4HsJup-4HwX1Y-4HsHY4-4HsHU2-4HsHQt-4HsHRZ-7sC5bM-241pHJ-6nRo1P-6nRofa-6nRnSD-6nVxDb-6nRnZx-6nVxwm-6nRnHP-6nRo6D-6nVxq5-6nVxUw-6nVxF9-6nVxRo-6nVxPS-6nVxJd-6nRo8B-6nVxCy-bX2ZQ3-6PBES-2vQmnR-23VUHZ-241kMu-eMWTh-3eE5c4-6nVxt3-6nRnMz-6nVxEw" title="Monster seats for the game!"><img src="https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2932/14268744113_4fa4051d01_c.jpg" width="534" height="800" alt="Monster seats for the game!"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script><br>Photo credit <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/dgaproductions/">DGA Productions</a><br><br> I have wondered how exactly those seats were installed because there is no room to make the park any bigger seeing as how the reason the wall is so close to the infield due to the lack of space out there. Today I did a Google Street View of Landsdowne St and saw how the seats were installed. The seats were installed over the street. Of course, what else could they do? <br> <iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1440788811910!6m8!1m7!1sPDs5B5xKatG8n1AuAthxFw!2m2!1d42.34717863246881!2d-71.09674305082837!3f257.6863860656883!4f16.1508710830673!5f0.7820865974627469" width="600" height="450" frameborder="0" style="border:0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-26953687154100912052015-08-21T14:44:00.001-04:002015-08-21T14:45:28.558-04:00Fire WhipLast weekend at the Comet Grill there was an event called Sunshine Festival. There was a group called Firestorm and they played with fire. This guy in the picture below set a whip on fire and twirled it around. He even snapped it a couple of times. The first time he cracked the whip it was still full of flammable fluid at when he swung the whip it whooooshed and cracked. The initial crack of a whip is a little shocking, especially when it's on fire. Several people audibly gasped. I caught him right after he swung it for the crack. Too bad it wasn't darker out. <br><br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/20469952018/in/dateposted-public/" title="Firestorm"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/596/20469952018_85056810ff_c.jpg" width="601" height="800" alt="Firestorm"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3225161.post-56259038943375405132015-08-19T17:23:00.000-04:002015-08-19T17:23:21.467-04:00A Tree in Alden, MIBack in the 80s my dad showed a tree on Spencer Creek in Alden, MI that he had carved his initials in back in the 50s. I crawled up the tree and did the same that day. We went back last month to see if we could find that tree. We think we did. The carvings in the tree were almost unreadable but we think the initials we found on the branch were ours. I couldn't climb up the branch because it was dead and starting to rot. <br><br><br><br>Dad in front of the tree. I noticed there were several other carvings in the tree. <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/20117915322/in/datetaken/" title="IMG_4930"><img src="https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3682/20117915322_a9cc723c00_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="IMG_4930"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br>The carving we think my dad created back in the 50s. <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/20094545693/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_4917"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/708/20094545693_c758efb82d_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="IMG_4917"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <br><br>A view further down the creek <br><a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/zzazazz/20094638953/in/dateposted-public/" title="IMG_4939"><img src="https://farm1.staticflickr.com/615/20094638953_9c1c41a259_c.jpg" width="800" height="600" alt="IMG_4939"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>Ed McDonaldhttps://plus.google.com/107182785829850600602noreply@blogger.com0